


Five Times the Blue Spirit keeps his identity secret...

by Multi_Fandom_Shipping_Trash



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: 5+1 Things, Blue Spirit Zuko (Avatar), Canon Compliant, Crack Treated Seriously, Discrimination, Gen, I mean... It's Jet, Inspired By Tumblr, Light Angst, Secret Identity, Vigilantism, Zuko is an Awkward Turtleduck, vigilante zuko
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-05
Updated: 2020-12-05
Packaged: 2021-03-06 04:06:37
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,540
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25737004
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Multi_Fandom_Shipping_Trash/pseuds/Multi_Fandom_Shipping_Trash
Summary: And the one time Zuko reveals it.Or:Did any one other than Iroh and Aang (and technically Zhao (Zhoe)) figure out Zuko was the Blue Spirit?
Comments: 51
Kudos: 499





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [this tumblr post](https://archiveofourown.org/external_works/662044) by screwthepurplegiraffe. 



> Guess who finally got around to watching alta during quarantine??? This bitch. Anyways, this took forever to write.. 
> 
> Warning! This is my first real attempt at crack, do not expect good quality! (I tried, but I don't think that really matters)

1.

Zuko loves the theater.

He doesn't know why ( ~~Liar~~ ).

Maybe it's the pretty costumes, the funny characters or the entertaining plots.

Maybe it's the memories of quiet giggling with his sister, his father sharing his fireflakes with him or his mother buying them gifts after the curtain fell.

Whatever the reason, Zuko is a very big fan of the dramatic art of theatrics.

But he's also quite fond of Spirit Stories and Legends, in particular the tales of the Blue Spirit. The way the being outsmarted whatever oppenents he fought, without _bending_ , is really ( ~~cool~~ ) admirable.

 _And_ , he bites his lip as a pale finger traces an eyehole, _their_ _iconic mask looks really ( ~~awesome~~ ) intimidating. _

He glances up at the window across from where he's seated and then back down at his hands.

He's covered head to toe in black; throwing knives line his belt, his dao swords are strapped to his back, daggers hide in his shoes and coils of flameresistant rope wrap around his arms.

The only thing missing in his ensemble is the piece of porcelain on his hands.

He growls in frustration at the warring emotions inside him and finally secures the mask firmly to his face, making sure no hair peeked out from underneath his hood.

He stalks over to his window and carefully crouches onto the frame, looking down at the patrolling guards with critical eyes.

He spots a slight gap in security- a small blind spot- and slips into the night, no trace of his presence left behind.

He jumps across the roofs of his Capital, an exhilarating rush of adrenaline coursing through his veins.

Ever since Fire Lord Ozai was declared, Zuko, as Crown Prince, has been subjegated to hours and hours of rigirous training in both firebending and the ways of the Court. There's scarcely time to breathe between lessons, nevermind relaxing or relieving tension.

The stress kept building up more and more until Zuko was struck by a ( ~~stupid, impulsive, reckless~~ ) brilliant idea. He'd go out as someone that wasn't the Fire Nation's Crown Prince, but rather a normal boy and just do whatever _Zuko_ wanted.

It devolved into vigilantism before he even knew what a vigilante was. (That wasn't his fault, though- he's too busy during the day to slip away and there's just so much crime during the night- these are his people, he can't ignore such violence and injustice. Really, Zuko didn't mean to gather such a reputation, _honest._ )

However, last week he nearly got caught, hence Zuko's previous hesitance.

He was tying up an aggressive thief when a guard (likely following the sounds of muffled screaming, groaning and flesh hitting flesh) walked around the corner.

The Blue Spirit was quick enough in making his exit that the guard didn't see more than a flash of blue, but the close call shocked Zuko to the point he became paranoid that a officer would storm into the Palace at any time, rightfully accusing Prince Zuko of treason.

(If Father found out about this...)

But a week without the nighttime parkour and delivering satisfying justice made him ( ~~twitchy~~ ) restless, so here he is, again.

Illegaly jumping across private property and assaulting crmininals who are commiting crime.

Speaking of, the typical sound of cursing rings out into the night and Zuko follows because, typically, these curses and that tone are used by very frustrated people. Frustrated people cussing in the middle of the night are typically criminals.

'But what if they aren't?' Well, Zuko usually observes the situation first before jumping in.

That ( ~~usually~~ ) always prevents any mistake ( ~~the young butcher is a _lying liar that is_ _lying_~~ ).

* * *

He looks up from where he's tying up a group of drug addicts when he hears a noise.

There, at the mouth of the alley, stand two guards. One of them holds a lantern, the fire's light illuminating his shocked expression while his companion shows a strangely blank look.

_Fuuuuuuuu-_

Zuko backs up a step, but it only kicks them into action, reminding them they have a job to do.

As far as they're probably concerned, an incriminatingly masked figure just bound a group of men in tight knots and is now standing over their unconscious bodies.

Zuko, not knowing what else to do, raises his hands slightly in the universal sign for 'I'm not going to hurt you' but with a strange, vaguely threatening undertone of 'unless you give me a reason to'.

* * *

"W-Who are you?" The man stutters, half hysterical.

The being stays silent, the ( ~~eyes? face? head?~~ ) _mask_ turned towards them, intense focus only heightening the anxiety the guards are experiencing.

The figure's mask seems awfully familiar and not in a good way.

Kai can still remember all the Spirit Stories his mother used to tell him before bed and there's one character the ( ~~man? woman?~~ ) being in front of them reminds him of. Kai hopes he's wrong.

He really, really, _really_ doesn't want to be facing the Blue Spirit, especially not as a potential enemy.

He just wanted a normal, nice and quiet night patrol, _damnit_.

He signs up for night patrol in this specific sector for a _reason_.

Sure, there are criminals, but that's the most exciting thing that ever happens and the ones in this sector are rarely ever violent or loud. No Royalty, no crowds, no Royalty, no hustle and bustle, no Royalty, no sudden violence spikes and most importantly, no Royalty.

_And there weren't supposed to be any Spirits either, damn it._

The mask tilts, but the Spirit stays silent, thankfully. Even if the silence is unnerving, Kai doesn't think he can handle whatever horrifying and reality destroying stuff the Spirit might say.

He's already considering quitting the job.

The urge only grows when the Spirit slowly backs up, disappearing into the shadows. Not even the ( ~~worryingly~~ ) many, many, many weapons glint or clink to give away their position.

He watches, mind spinning with the thought and feeling he only just managed to get through the interactions unscathed, as that blue mask is swallowed up in the darkness.

His life is still flashing in front of his eyes and _wow, he spent way too much of his time reading and writing, he missed so much-_

"Sergeant Ming?" The private wets his lips, bronze eyes darting to every shadow with increasing speed. "What sh-should we do?"

"What should we do?" She repeats, tone completely neutral and expression- once he gathered the courage to look towards her- is also blank. No, not blank, he corrects himself, empty. "What we _should_ do is process these men because the Spirit had to have had a reason to knock them out and then we should file a report regard this- this night. What I _am_ going to be doing is finding the nearest bar and downing a few shots of firewhiskey and contemplate my existence. Do you want to join me? Drink are on me."

Normally, Kai doesn't like alcohol, but normally he isn't confronted with a Agni-damned Spirit, either.

* * *

Zuko watches the two officers notify a nearby patrol squad and then head off to somewhere. Zuko isn't sure where they're going and he doesn't want to know.

He also doesn't want to know why he didn't just reveal it was him in the mask.

That's what a proper son would have done- what a proper, honorable man would have done. They would have owned up to any mistakes they've done (and that's exactly what this is, a mistake) and accepted their punishment. But he also can't just stop, either.

 _Oh well_ , Zuko sighs as he lays in bed, a grin tugging at his lips for the first time in forever. _At least this way I can interact with other people normally! They won't treat me like their Prince if I wear the disguise._

Poor Zuko doesn't recognize the terror in the eyes of his victims and witnesses.


	2. Lieutenant Jee

2.

Zuko can't stand to stay on this dinky, little, broken down ship any more. He orders the map officer to find the nearest Earth Kingdom port to dock, giving a flimsy excuse of restocking.

He just has to get out, to let out all this energy.

Firebending spars might be able to curb the feeling of restlessness, but they don't satisfy the itching under his skin. Not like acting as the Blue Spirit does.

(He pretends that the restless energy isn't just anxiety and hurt mingled in a poisonous mixture, flaring with every painful pulse of his new scar. He's not _weak,_ he's learned his lesson because he's not dumb _._ )

Without another word, he jumps out of his cabin's window.

* * *

Lieutenant Jee had been dishonourable discharged for continued disrespect towards commanding officers and for not following orders.

When the Dragon of the West had offered a job, he jumped on it before fully realising what, exactly, it entailed.

He certainly didnt expect it to entail being under the command of a prickly, angry, _obsessive_ teenager.

Jee had always been against using violence against children, but he's seriously starting to reconsider. His lack of proper respect for authority truly doesn't help, either.

So, to stop himself from slapping or strangling the boat's new Captain, Jee took every opportunity to get away.

Because, while he has no huge hangups on disrespecting commanding officers and disobeying orders (see: current situation), this kid is a Royal. _You do not fuck with the Royals._

(Especially not the ones under the protection of the Dragon of the West.)

In an impressive act of self-preservation, he goes off to explore the Earth Kingdom port they're currently docked at.

He changes into casual clothes, grabs his money pouch and walked merrily into town. He explores the market first: sampling the local cousine (much too mild in his opinion, but he can make do) and examining the various works of art in the forms of jewelry, clothing, carvings and pottery the stalls are proclaiming are the best of their kind.

He also buys a lot of candles (there was a _great_ deal at the stall he bought them), even indulging in a few scented sticks.

He's walking to the less lawful area of the port town to find a bar already open and with good, strong alcohol (he does not want to get back sober; the Prince has been getting antsy and quicker to anger lately) when he hears metal clanking and frustrated grunting.

He debates going investigating and whether it's worth disturbing the peaceful atmosphere he created for himself. Ultimately, the firebender decides to go, if only for the potential opportunity to punch away the anger still bubbling deep inside. Some people might say violence isn't the answer, but it sure as Agni relieves stress.

He creeps closer to the mouth of the- not an alley, but rather a narrow, strangely dark side street. He makes sure to stay silent so he can observe the fight first and so he can decide if he really wants to get in on it.

He's glad he didn't get the occupants' attention when he sees the winning fighter's mask.

The winning fighter's _blue_ mask.

Of _course_ Jee has heard of the Blue Spirit, even as often out on sea as he was. The Blue Spirit is the scrounge of the Fire Nation, first causing trouble in the capital and then spreading across the rest of the world. (The higher ups had supposedly breathed a sigh of relief when they heard that the Spirit moved on to the Earth Kingdom, though that's only a 'rumour'.)

(It's not. The Fire Sages threw a party for the first time since the War started.)

(Jee himself felt sorry for the earthbenders because he knows how annoying annoyances can be. He wishes them luck at stopping the Spirit when not even the Fire Sages could exorcist it.)

In front of his unbelieving eyes the Spirit expertly disarmed the man and knocked him unconscious before Jee could even blink.

Well, at least it seems the rumours weren't as exaggerated as Jee thought. That's good to know, he guesses. Or maybe not.

He feels an overwhelming desire to sigh and his body does so before his mind could remind him why that's a bad idea. And, damnit, there goes the secretion he worked so hard for when he first approached the sideroad.

The blue mask whips around, both gloved hands gripped around dual dao swords.

They tilt their head and relax the fighting stance they adopted when they heard Jee, but they keep their guard up.

_Shit_.

Jee may have wanted a little fight to get rid of the worst of his anger, but he certainly doesn't want to fight against a Spirit.

He raises his hands with his palms out, feeling so damn tired he's surprised he hasn't fainted yet.

"So you're the infamous Blue Spirit, huh?" _Why are you talking?_ He doesn't want to **annoy** the Spirit. "You're a little smaller than I expected." _No, stop it! And really? Now he's going to_ insult _the incredibly skilled, infamous, immortal being?_ _Where had all of his common sense_ gone?

Oh wait, he knows the answer to that.

(That damned Prince killed- murdered in cold blood- more than his patience, it seems.)

It was true, though. The Spirit is much smaller than he had expected, looking much scrawnier and skinnier than he'd think a Spirit would be.

_But that doesn't mean he should point it out!_ his rational side screams. _They are_ _obviously still incredibly skilled!_

Black clad shoulders flinch, a faint snort coming from under the mask. Strangely, Jee could imagine the being rolling their eyes (if they even _had_ eyes).

Huh.

Well, now he really does need a drink.

The Blue Spirit rolls their shoulders and then, without giving Lieutenant Jee of the Wani a second look, started _climbing the wall_ s.

What in Agni's sweet sunlight?

Jee abruptly turns on his heels once the figure was out of sight- but not out of mind- and hurries to that bar he wanted to visit before.

He wants to forget the encounter, scrub it from his memories.

(If he saw glimpses of the Blue Spirit during his stay in the port town he didn't say a thing. In fact, he pretended not to _see_ a thing.)

Ignorance is bliss and Jee is in desperate need of it.

* * *

Zuko sneaks back onto the boat, ( ~~giddy excitement~~ ) adrenaline still surging through his veins.

Today was a good day. 


	3. Jet

3.

Zuko feels like there are ants crawling inside his skin, the domesticity of his Uncle's and his new life on Ba Sing Se slowly driving him up the wall.

It rubs him the wrong way, being so thoroughly surrounded by people they can't trust and cut off from their most reliable defense.

The only other method of attack is his swords and he can't exactly go walking out in the open with it.

Not with the Dai Li smothering any and all signs of the War.

But, if, say, a _Spirit_ moved around the Lower Ring with swords strapped to them, then the Dai Li can't really do anything, can they?

At least, not if Zuko is careful.

A gleeful glint shines in golden eyes, his polite costumer smile changing to something more anticipary, predatory.

(His customer exchange worried glances with her friend and his Uncle sighs in the backroom, a feeling of familiar exasperation rising without fully knowing why, but suspicions grow quickly.)

* * *

Jet and his ( ~~Freedom Fighters~~ ) friends came to Ba Sing Se because it is the last stronghold in this hundred year war. After the Tree Village got burnt down and his ( ~~Freedom Fighters~~ ) friends scattered to avoid capture, the trio fled to the city. 

His two companions are finally, finally smiling again; anger and resentment slowly slipping away, replaced by contentment and happiness. 

But Jet is still angry.

He's still so incredibly angry at the Fire Nation for what they've done to ( ~~him~~ ) thousands of poor civilians. Every day he finds another reason to curse the pale demons, to wish _dishonor_ on the families and their cows of every soldier he fights and to spit on their very existence.

Maybe that's why he is such a big fan of the Blue Spirit...

Yes, the Blue Spirit is a force of nature to be reckoned with, and they had chosen the Fire Nation to plague. In the very heart of the Fire Nation they struck, reappearing every night without fail to put the many disgusting fire bastards in justice's light.

Jet had been worried once reports came in that the Blue Spirit had moved, but they still seemed to find criminals of all races with eery precision. It's not a copycat, either, because the 'victim' reports are virtually the same.

(Though there has been an uprise of rage during the takedowns. Jet had worried a lot at it, along with most of the Spirit's fans who, of course, started speculating as to why. The least popular of the theories is thinking that the Blue Spirit is following their chosen Royal, the disgraced Prince Zuko, in hopes of ending the War in a peaceful manner via inheritance, but grew angry at his banishment.

That's complete rhino-bull in Jet's expert opinion.

No, he subscribes to the more paranoid theory that the Blue Spirit learned a very important, top secret, hush hush plan before being forced out by the Fire Sages (as to how they finally did it, there are many suggestions, but Jet doesn't really care about that). Because the Spirit can't talk, they are trying to warn the people and preparing them by showing them how to hunt down and take care of scum.)

Because of this little pet theory, Jet didn't expect to meet the masked being in Ba Sing Se of all places.

He gasps, fanboyish delight awoken by the sight of them bent over two criminals, finally replacing the slow acidic mixture of fear, grieve and rage.

The blue masks snaps up so quickly any human would surely get whiplash, but the being behind it is a Spirit, so of course they're alright.

Having met the Avatar himself, Jet knows Spirits are not to be fucked with and are, in fact, _insane_.

He knew that already, obviously, seeing how much chaos the entity before him has wreaked in only four years, but that belief was firmly reestablished.

The black clothed figure crouches down, ready to jump onto the roofs, mask still pointed unwaveringly at the former vigilante.

"Wait!" The brunet makes sure to whisper-shout instead of normal shouting- to avoid the Dai Li's fucked up attention- but there's enough desperation in the tone to make his voice crack either way. He clears his throat and relaxes his body, trying to cling to any vague hints of coolness and suave charm. "Why are you here?"

The Spirit has thankfully stayed, but they're just staring at him now, head slightly tilted and ( ~~awesomely~~ ) gravely silent, neutral. Now, Jet gets the distinct feeling they are given him a look.

_Oh, right. How could he have forgotten?_

He feels white hot embarrassment flushing his face and quickly amends, "Are you here to warn us?"

The mask tilts to the other side, showing their confusion and emphasising the many, many, many blades in the same movement.

( ~~ _So cool!_~~ ) _Focus._

"You usually appear in places shortly before ashmakers come to destroy the place. Is Ba Song Se in danger?"

Though it's difficult to tell, the figure tenses before giving a jerk nod.

Jet feels sympathy to the Spirit. It's clear they hold immeasurable hate towards the pale demons with their inhuman golden eyes. Speaking of...

"There is one, potentially two firebenders that have infiltrated this city. Are they the threat you're warning us of?"

The Spirit has grown very still. So still Jet blinks and has to review the conversation to make sure he hasn't been talking to a statue again (it happens whenever he's severely sleep deprived and neither The Duke nor Smellerbee ever let it go if they catch him).

Finally the mask stiffly and slowly tilts in the other direction and Jet thinks _oh_.

The Spirit hadn't known. They must be furious that those dirty coal lovers have already come to destroy.

It's practically Jet's civil duty to help them in the investigations, right? (No, he's not doing it because he's the Blue Spirit's biggest fan, _shut up_.)

He points in the direction of the little rundown teashop, "The old fat man is definitely a firebender, but I'm not sure about his nephew. I think they go by Mushi and Lee? Though those are obviously not their real names, figures what with how manipulative ashmakers are..." So deep in his slowly spiralling ramblings Jet was that he doesn't notice the Spirit climb the wall until a throwing dagger lands between his feet.

He looks up instinctively and only sees the being lift their pointer finger up to the mouth area of the infamous blue mask before the Spirit is gone.

 _Yes_ , Jet agrees, _best keep this meeting a secret._

Afterall, he doesn't want the two coal lovers finding out they're being hunted.

(If he happens to pick up the knife with reverent hands, well, that's his business and his alone.)

* * *

So, Zuko had been right ( ~~for once~~ ).

Someone did see his foolish, old Uncle heat up his tea and it just so happened to be witnessed by a very much stubborn, combat skilled and obsessive teenager.

( ~~He ignores the irony.~~ )

 _Well_ , he sighs and absentmindedly throws a dagger at a nearby Dai Li to pin them down by their frankly impractical robes, _At least I know who's been watching us now._

**Bonus :**

In a ( ~~cliché hideout~~ ) _mysterious_ room deep under a lake, a snivelling, smug voice demands, "Have you captured the 'Spirit' yet?"

"N-No, sir." The nameless grunt shivers.

"What do you mean you haven't captured them yet?!" His moustache quivers in a show of anger. The Head of the Dai Li cannot believe how incompetent his afenrs are.

_I know this is the fault of that Avatar. He and his meddling friends only bring trouble._

"Tch. You're dismissed." The grunts all but run away, relieved at his act of mercy.

That still leaves the matter of a pesky little Spirit running around their beautiful city and destroying the peace Long Feng has worked so hard to achieve. He purses his ( ~~crusty~~ ) thin lips and grabs a roll of parchment. He hates to ask for help, but he may not have a choice when it comes to the spiritual aspects. The first letter will go to the Royal Shrine, though Long Feng writes another letter to send to a monastery outside of Ba Sing Se since the High Priest is, frankly, an idiot. ( ~~Oh, the irony.~~ )


	4. Sokka

4.

So.

Zuko has thrown away literally _everything_ he's been working towards for literal _years_ for a incredible slim chance of being accepted by the group of kids he's spent half a year chasing all over the world.

Zuko knows he can be a little impulsive, but even that was a surprise to him.

Fortunately, said group of literal kids is really, weirdly forgiving.

Zuko finally has those magical friends everyone seems to be gushing about. While he can see the appeal ( ~~friendly punches, tackle hugs, side hugs, shared looks of exasperation (he finally understands how Uncle felt), friendly spars~~ ), friendship is also incredibly tiring.

And stressful. He never knows what to say, constantly afraid of speaking the wrong words, offending and driving away the only friends and allies he has.

So, is it really any surprise he got the itch to go out again?

On their way to Ember Island where they'll freeload at the Royal Family Summer House, they made a pitstop in a big, crowded port where chances of being identified are much lower than in a small town.

They don their disguises with Zuko saying he'll stay behind since his scar will still be a dead giveaway. The others shrug and leave.

Zuko waits until they're gone for a couple of minutes (Sokka comes back, explaining between pants that they forgot their money pouch) to change into his own disguise. He heads out, ignoring the strangely disapproving looks both Appa _and_ Momo give him.

He's been spending too much time with Aang.

* * *

Sokka has been feeling very overstretched, trying to figure out how to invade the Caldera, again, but successfully this time and with even less forces than last time.

Fortunately, he has time to strategise with his father before Zuko's physcho sister attacked the millenia old Air Temple.

That means he's much more relaxed with a plan in place, the last element teacher found and an approximate deadline agreed upon.

Still the stress lingers, growing with every dawn and digging its poisonous claws further into his mind with every dusk.

He knows it's become so apparent that the rest of the gaang have noticed- even Aang gave him worried looks sometimes- and he feels a little embarrassed. Nobody else is showing their nerves as much as he is.

He doesn't fight when Katara drags him into town.

 _Maybe they'll have some Water Tribe meats..._ He's already drooling at just the thought of the taste of juicy walruss-seal and otter-penguin meats.

He separates from the small outing when a flash of metal catches his wondering eye (he still makes sure to give the others their 'allowances', warn them and set a time to return).

He inspects the okayish crafted blades, swinging them back and forth to make sure they have the optimal swish-quality. Master Piandao had taught him the basic qualities all good blades must fulfill to be worth their price and Sokka disqualifies half the weapons- mostly the pretty ones- in front of him.

They're mostly decorative; ornate daggers and fragile swords only good for a show of wealth and intimidation.

He wrinkles his nose, studiously ignoring the dirty glares the owner gives him.

There is one knife, though, that's both pretty _and_ passes his swish test. The blade itself is the standard length a dagger has, the metal is polished to the point Sokka's reflection is crisp, there's a pretty craving of a little dragon wrapped neatly under the guard, the handle has a beautiful diamond pattern, and there's a a firelily painted delicately on the pommel.

_This one._

Sokka had never been a very religious person, but there's an undeniable urge to buy it. The urge feels almost... _otherworldly_.

He points to it and the glare shifts to a greedy sneer, a smarmy smirk lighting the shopkeeper's face in unholy glee.

(Sokka spends the next ten minutes trying to haggle the price down to a more reasonable price, but finally relents when the woman throws in the sheath for _only_ a little bit more than the original price.

Sokka of the Southern Water Tribe, the Plan Guy, the One with the Boomerang isn't very good at haggling.)

He walks away with his purchase, money pouch significantly lighter and happiness underlined with the feeling he got scammed.

At least the sheath matches the dagger in its simple but delicate beauty. The leather is alike in colour and quality and with the image of a dragon curled around a firelily proudly stamped in the middle.

He's admiring the feel of smooth leather and firm metal when he's yanked sideways and into an alley.

He slams into the stone wall with a _thud!_ guaranteed to leave a bruise by tomorrow and he feels a different blade being pressed onto his jugular.

 _At least its not a wart this time,_ he quibs internally because quibbling externally when an enemy has their weapon against your throat is not a good idea, no matter what his maniacal friends insist.

The attacker snarls, _disgusting_ spit raining down onto Sokka's face as he demands, "Give me all of your money!"

Sokka raises his hands in what is hopefully a placating gesture and tries to negotiate.

(What? This is _his_ 'allowance'! He's not just going to hand it over, not when he still hasn't even bought any food!)

A irritated growl ( ~~rude~~ ) interrupted ( ~~even ruder~~ ) his, admittedly, clumsy attempts of dissuading his attacker from taking the precious coins. "I don't give a shit about your food, I _said_ give me all of your mon- ack!"

A gloved hand yanked on the attacker's tunic ( ~~ _how does that feel, you jerk?_~~ ) and dragging him away from his would be victim, knife clattering uselessly to the floor. When he turns to see who dared to interrupt him ( ~~ _huh? Feels shitty, doesn't it?_~~ ) he's met with a punch right on the nose, breaking it with a sickening _crunch!_ _(_ ~~ _ **ouch**_~~ _)_

He staggers back and Sokka can finally see ( ~~his saviour~~ ) the interruptee. A black clad figure with a blue mask.

The mugger's inhale is shaky (and choked because of the blood coming from his nose, _that has got to hurt_ -) and his eyes widen. "The-The Blue Spirit? Wh-What are you doing _here_? I thought-"

Well, whatever he thought was apparently wrong and that mistake costs him another vicious bruise on his face, this time over one previous greedy eye.

Wait. Hold on.

_Spirit?_

_Oh, not again!_ Sokka ( ~~whimpers~~ ) complains quite reasonably because the few times he had to deal with Spirits he had gotten kidnapped, and lost his first girlfriend all while getting his butt kicked (once by the Spirit, the other times by association).

Thankfully the Spirit pretty much ignored Sokka, instead pulling the thief forwards and down so they could knee him viciously in the stomach. The man groans and slumps onto the floor, staying still except for the occasional twitch. 

Sokka widens his eyes in surprise, not having expected the speed and brutality of the attack. Suddenly, it occurse to him that the Spirit may turn to him now that the immediate threat is gone, so he shifts into a defensive stance and grips his new weapon tightly. 

The blue mask (oh, now Sokka knows where the name came from... How _creative._ ) seems to stare through him and right at his soul. They cock their ( ~~head?~~ ) mask, before turning and scaling the walls with freakish speed.

Sokka shudders at the unnatural sight. A feeling of excitement and euphoria surges through him.

_Finally he's met a Spirit that didn't cause him trouble!_

* * *

After Zuko collects the dishes from dinner, he hands out the tea he made ( ~~in a fit of nostalgia~~ ). A small smile pulls at his lips while he listens to his friends' chatter, Sokka's voice especially loud.

"-And then, _bam!_ A Spirit comes out of nowhere! Fortunately for them, they focused more on the thief or I would have been forced to protect myself!"

"Pff, and what would you have done, exactly?" Katara teases her brother. (Zuko definitely doesn't feel jealous when he sees the healthy sibling bond, nope, _not at all_.)

"Katara! I was gonna use the dagger to fight it off!" Sokka's whine was almost swallowed up by the laughter of the others.

"Thank you again for the knife," Zuko murmurs into his ear as he pours him a cup of ginseng tea.

Sokka waves it off, more concerned with saving his dignity. "Anyways! Once the Spirit beat the jerk, we had a really intense staredown. It was kind of creepy because they had a blue mask that-"

Aang spits out his tea.

"Aang?" Suki glances at him, concerned before eyeing Zuko carefully. While everyone trusted Zuko to an extent, their knee jerk response is still to assume something happened that the former Crown Prince is heavily involved in.

The Avatar coughs and bangs on his chest before croaking, "Sorry, I choked on my tea. It was a little hot."

He looks at the heavily blushing Zuko with wide eyes before quickly turning his attention to Sokka. "Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure! The thief even called them the Blue Spirit!"

"Huh," he looks back to Zuko who quickly shakes his head. _Don't tell him._

The twelve year old shrugs and listens as Sokka continues to spin his tale, his saviour unknowingly sitting right next to him.

(And if Aang grins privately, well, that's only to be expected; he was raised mostly by the mischievous Monk Gyatso afterall.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did I write an entire paragraph describing a dagger just so that Sokka can give it to (his boyfriend-) Zuko? Yes, yes I did. That boi needs some love and affections.


	5. Council (+Bonus: Kai)

5.

At the toll of ten o'clock at night, it was dark.

No sliver of the precious sun peaked over the horizon, no birds tweeted a lively song.

Instead, nightly things boldly took the stage. The full moon hung protectively in the sky, the occasional light of candles giving the Capital a warm and inviting glow.

All was quiet.

All was peaceful.

But then, all of a sudden, a dark figure runs across a roof. Jumping to the next roof the figure never breaks their stride, never breaks their groove.

That mysterious figure? Zuko in his Blue Spirit getup.

 _Shocking_ , Zuko is sure.

Surprisingly, it actually would be to a lot of people. Even though Zuko has never made too much of an effort to conceal his identity outside of the basic 'running away from the consequences/guards' and not talking, his secret remains little known.

A fact he was reminded of again during his last meeting.

The meeting in which his Minister of National Security brought up various criminals still on the loose, including the Blue Spirit.

Yes, that's right; not even Zuko's own Ministers know of his vigilante ways and have actually gone so far as suggest setting the returning forces up on missions to capture the criminals, including Zuko's alter ego.

And then the meeting spiralled out of control because the Head of the Fire Sages insisted they'd deal with the vigilante since he's a _Spirit,_ some of the officers only scoffed while others agreed and the Council Room descended into chaos.

(Zuko himself didn't say anything, too shocked and flustered to speak (he didn't flounder and move his mouth like a koi-goldfish, honest). He quietly slipped away while the men squabbled like little brats.

Zuko already knew some adults are incompetent, but to find out his Fire Nation is ruled by them? Absolutely terrifying.)

Still, surprising lack of perception and critical thinking aside, those adults are supposed to be smart enough to rule a nation.

They couldn't even put together two plus two to get the obvious answer of four.

And Zuko is supposed to reform a war torn nation with them?

He can feel his hair turning gray and his eye bags deepening already.

So, as a little treat, he decided to commit a few crimes and carry out some vigilante justice- the perfect relaxation hobby.

He skips across the rooftop before sommersaulting to the next one. He rolls across the tiles to reduce the momentum, swords and knives lightly scraping against the surface.

He has half a mind to start humming, but decides against it in the end. No need to alert any wrongdoers that he's there.

Speaking of, something just shattered. Now, this could either be an unfortunate accident or a deliberate ~~(clumsy)~~ action. Seeing as he doesn't have anything better to do, he made his way over to the source of the noise anyway.

He smirks when he sees three criminals around a window, one of them whisper-shouting at the one holding a bat, presumably the culprit of the broken window.

Not even half an hour later, the full moon finds him sitting on a roof a few streets away, ~~(pouting)~~ pondering.

Now what?

He doesn't want to return to the Palace yet (he's not avoiding the stacks of paperwork in his office, shut up!), but the city is suspiciously quiet.

Mights as well review the meeting today to figure out how in Agni's sweet sunlight no one has realized it yet.

* * *

_Zuko's attendants are preparing him for yet another meeting. If Zuko had known most of his reign as Fire Lord would be spent in meetings, he might have reconsidered Uncle's offer of Regency._

_He sighs, trying to ignore the way the servants flinch at his irritation- which has nothing to do with them. The teenager knows all too well what treatment those who dissatisfy the Firelord recieve and he also knows that change takes time._

_He's thinking on the various things that he now has to deal with since neither his father nor his sister could be trusted to take care of the Fire Nation when he finally arrived at the War Room._

_He settles down on the throne (the actual Throne being in the Throne Room™), while ignoring the instinctual panic rising within himself at being here again._

_Good news: he's getting better at shoving those feelings into a box at the very back of his mind!_

_So good in fact, that he pays attention for a record of half an hour before his breathing starts to get too short to focus on the (very important!) current topic of retracting soldiers._

_He clears his throat and the discussion immediately quiets, "If there is anything crucial that needs to be addressed before the break, speak now."_

Please don't, _he pleads._

_But, because the Spirits hate him (maybe his impersonating one of them is the reason why?), one Admiral speaks up._

_And, of course, the topic is the one and only Blue Spirits._

_The Head Sage rises, bows to Zuko and turns back to the table to announce his grievance, "The Blue Spirit has been said to have been seen back in the Fire Nation. We would like the support of the Royal family and the Treasury so that we can finally deal with them."_

_One General, who had been growing steadily annoyed during the whole process, finally snapped and jumped up, slapping his hands on the wood. He roars at the Sage,_ _"You could not handle the Blue Spirit when they plagued this Nation before, what makes you think you can now?!"_

_The Sage bristles and retorts,_ _"We may not have been able to stop them before, but exorcism and banishment are still better options than shooting at the Agni-danmed Spirit!"_

_The unsaid 'You idiot' rings loudly in the room, causing the officer to redden at the implied insult._

_"If it's so much better, then why has there been less progress done with your methods? Do you not recall the Pohuai Stronghold Escape? The Yuyan Archers hit the Spirit and reportedly even knocked them out!" This time a minister piped up, earning a glare from the sages in the room._

_One of them, the youngest but who is still at least a decade older than Zuko, replies with," And yet they still didn't capture them! The Blue Spirit roamed the Earth Kingdom's countryside without any sign of injury!"_

_Zuko flees._

_He can't deal with a room full of arguing people when he can't even see straight._

* * *

Kai, now promoted to lieutenant thanks to a shortage of higher-ups, patrolled the streets near the Palace.

While this was actually under his station, he enjoyed the silence and gentleness of the night, especially without the menace that had plagued the capital before.

_Shink!_

He looks up.

He turns around and walks away, reconsidering his whole career. He's, frankly, still not being paid enough for this.

He's not the Avatar- he shouldn't have to deal with Agni-damned _Spirits_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just to clarify, Kai is the guard that featured in the first chapter


End file.
